Three generations. Nearly four decades. What started as a family fascination with flying became Wickers World in 1987 — and the same family is still at the heart of it today.
Flying came first. The business came later. What began as an interest in aviation gradually became something much bigger — shaped by chance meetings, unexpected opportunities and a thousands of happy passengers.
Andy and his wife, Maggie, moved into The Nelson Inn in 1979. Three years later, on a day out at Holker Hall, Andy saw hot air balloons for the first time, and got talking to pilot Bob Jones.
Andy ended up buying his own balloon despite never having flown in one. By 1983 he had gained his licence and was flying around the local area — not least with banners promoting The Nelson Inn hanging from the envelope.
Andy and Maggie left The Nelson Inn in 1989, but it remains part of the story. They still visit regularly and are good friends with the current owners.
By 1985 Andy was teaching Jon to fly. On one flight from The Nelson Inn they landed at Shugborough Hall, where Lord Lichfield came out to see what was going on.
His interest led to an invitation to bring balloons to an event at the estate. It was a small connection at the time, but one that would open the door to something much bigger.
A landing at Shugborough Hall brings Andy and Jon into contact with Lord Lichfield and the events team there.
Jon gains his licence. When the National Garden Festival needs a promotional balloon, the Shugborough connection leads directly back to Andy and Jon.
The Festival balloon becomes their gateway into commercial ballooning — operating a sponsored balloon on behalf of a major client.
Commercial ballooning was gathering momentum. Andy and Jon formally launched Wickers World, and later that same year were contracted to operate a Maltesers balloon for Mars.
In 1988 Wickers World bought G-BOBD, a larger second-hand balloon that allowed passenger flying to become a more regular part of the operation.
For years, passenger flights ran alongside a busy schedule operating sponsored balloons and attending shows and events around the country, and across Europe.
Foot-and-mouth disease devastated the British countryside and brought much of the country-show circuit to a halt. With commercial balloon events badly affected, Wickers World shifted its focus decisively towards flying its own paying passengers — the business model at the heart of Wickers World today.
The business has changed enormously since those early days. The family's connection with ballooning hasn't.
A chance encounter with balloons in 1982 became much more than a new hobby. Andy's enthusiasm for flying ultimately set Wickers World in motion.
From learning to fly and teaching Jon, to sponsored balloons, passenger flights and decades of adventures, Andy began a connection with ballooning that now spans three generations.
Jon had grown up with the same fascination for aviation and gained his balloon pilot's licence in 1986. He founded Wickers World with Andy the following year.
Four decades later, Jon remains at the centre of the operation as Chief Pilot, leading the flying and bringing a lifetime of ballooning experience to the business.
Jon's son and Andy's grandson, Joe grew up with balloons as part of everyday family life — at launches, events, balloon meets and around the Wickers World operation.
He began learning to fly in 2014 and now represents the third generation of the family involved in taking Wickers World forward.
G-BKRS was Andy's first ever balloon, with a distinctive colour scheme that remained instantly recognisable long after the balloon itself stopped flying.
Decades later, those colours returned on G-TUTU — a quiet visual connection between Wickers World's early years and the fleet flying today.
The early commercial ballooning years took Wickers World far beyond Staffordshire. Sponsored balloons meant travelling to events across Britain, Europe and further afield.
Over the years, ballooning has taken the family and team to the Alps, South America, Scandinavia and Russia — including flights over Red Square in Moscow and appearances at the Cannes Film Festival.
Wickers World looks very different from the operation that started in 1987. The balloons are bigger, the fleet has grown and hundreds of thousands of passengers have flown with us.
But the principle at the centre of it has stayed much the same. Jon still leads the flying operation as Chief Pilot, Joe is the third generation involved in the business, and Wickers World remains independent and family run.
Discover the balloons, the experience and what makes Wickers World different.
Nearly four decades after Wickers World began, we're still doing what started it all — taking people ballooning.
